I’m overweight and am worried that I’m on the road to diabetes. What is pre-diabetes?

Pre-diabetes is a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough yet for a diagnosis of diabetes. Pre-diabetes is often associated with insulin resistance, where the body produces insulin but doesn’t use it properly (because the body has become less responsive to it). Insulin (a hormone made by the pancreas) gets the body’s cells to accept glucose and either use it for energy or store it as fat. Insulin resistance happens when the cells refuse to allow the glucose in (despite the presence of insulin) so the glucose stays in the blood. The confused pancreas tries to make the cells accept the glucose by putting out even more insulin. Over time, this cycle results in too much insulin in the blood, which makes it difficult for the body to use its own stored fat for energy. Eventually, the confused pancreas quits and fails to produce insulin at all, resulting in Type 2 diabetes. So see your doctor, because the sooner you can intervene in this process, the better.

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